Disaster On Ice !!:
Wrist fracture debilitating and likely in women over age 50
By Janet Murphy PT, Certified Hand Therapist

If you are a women older than 50 years, one of seven of you will sustain a wrist fracture to your wrist at the distal radius. If you are older than age 70, you are twice as likely to suffer from a subsequent hip fracture. Both are debilitating, and either could be a catalyst for a downward spiral in your everyday activities if appropriate care is not given.

When you are recovering from a wrist fracture, you may be in a cast for 6 to 8 weeks, and your wrist will be immobilized during this time. As you may imagine, this will directly affect your functioning wrist, but what you may not realize is that your fingers and shoulder can become stiff, swollen and painful. Physical Therapists often times will provide preventative treatment to keep your joints below and above the wrist moving in full range and deter a frozen shoulder, joint pain, and loss of grip motion from occurring in the first place.

After cast removal, motion to your wrist is very limited and the muscles around the wrist and forearm become atrophied from the weeks of immobilization. You realize that everyday activities are not so easy, such as washing your face, turning a doorknob and accepting change from the cashier at the grocery store. With the combination of weakness and loss of motion, your doctor or physical therapist may recommend a splint to protect your joint in case you try to lift that heavy pot, or in worst case, you fall again. A Physical therapist may recommend an off –shelf splint, or if they are specialized in hand therapy, they can construct a custom wrist splint in the clinic.

After your cast is removed, hand therapy is most beneficial to improve wrist motion, strength and overall function. Your therapist will prescribe home exercises and your treatment will include re-training exercises that are progressed to incorporate more resistance and functional tasks. Along with an exercise program, pain management and healing modalities such as ultrasound, moist heat, and electrotherapeutics often complete your program to optimize your recovery.

Adherence to your hand therapy is very important, and according to the research, there is a positive relationship between recovery from a radius fracture when a patient adheres to hand therapy program.

After a wrist fracture, there is chance of returning to your favorite activities, but the chance of that is better when you do the exercises your physical therapist prescribes.